Buy Ubisoft Game Again for Console?

"Volition Sony buy Ubisoft?" and other questions subsequently Xbox's shock acquisition of Activision Blizzard

The big announcement that Microsoft plans to acquire Activision Blizzard has left us with some burning questions that we've done our best to accost hither

On Jan eighteen, 2022, Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard. This is a platform holder ownership one of the biggest games publishers and one of the world'southward biggest games. Call of Duty, Activision'southward flagship production, has suffered some declines in contempo years, but it remains a massive serial. And more significantly, it is one of the most popular games on PlayStation.

Activision Blizzard is also a company embroiled in lawsuits and ongoing disharmonize with its employees, and has had its reputation seriously harmed due to a sexual misconduct scandal.

I am a business journalist, and there'due south a lot to discuss here in terms of manufacture consolidation, workplace practices and business organisation models. Merely if my Twitter feed is anything to get past, there are a lot of buring questions from gamers, too – particularly around what this means for the future of Call of Duty, and how PlayStation might react to this industry-changing announcement.

Information technology'southward a scrap too early to know the answers to these. Simply we can make some educated guesses based on what each company is saying. Then permit'due south become to it.

Why is Microsoft doing this?

Whenever you talk to Microsoft, you'll hear execs and marketing types talk well-nigh the 'billions' of gamers that it wants to reach. Considering its consoles accept never even croaky 100 million sales – and indeed, only a few consoles have e'er reach that level – the company has to remember beyond the panel to do this.

That involves being big in PC, big in mobile, and big in countries outside of the The states and Western Europe. It involves making console games more accessible and more affordable.

That'southward why it'southward building up Game Pass, and it'due south why it is trying to make games streaming piece of work, and it's why it's ownership all these games and studios, and investing heavily in technology and cloud gaming.

Lots of people will focus on Call of Duty, for obvious reasons. It's one of the biggest games brands in the world. Simply in Blizzard, Microsoft has a major PC games studio, and in King, it would ain one of the nigh successful mobile gaming developers out at that place. Activision – even more than Bethesda – gives Microsoft the artistic talent and content that it needs to brand what it'southward doing with subscriptions, streaming, and engineering science reach those 'billions' of players.

That'south its goal.

Is information technology a skillful thing?

Big consolidation of games companies can lead to concerns over creativity and opportunities. Merely there are also potential positives. Activision Blizzard will likely have a scrap more than freedom to spend longer on their games, and will no longer feel the pressure level to have to release large sequels to their franchises regularly. For those gamers concerned most Blizzard's recent output, being part of the Microsoft family might simply requite them the space they need to go back to its best.

Is this a monopoly?

At that place will inevitably exist some questions that Microsoft will demand to face around this deal. Antitrust and monopoly laws are designed to end one company becoming too dominant, and putting them in a situation where they basically command the marketplace. Xbox is now certainly a massive gaming powerhouse in this regard, owning some of the biggest and most assisting titles in games. It has the ability to really transition the business towards a subscription-based future.

However, the games industry is huge, and at that place are lots of big players out there. Xbox may have a number of large IP and developers, and operates across most major platforms. But it isn't the biggest console games company out there – that'southward Nintendo and Sony. On PC, it's a long way from challenging Valve. And on mobile, Rex may exist a major player, but there are other significant names out there, such as Zynga.

Only those are just the traditional games companies. Facebook's investment in the Metaverse, Epic Games has Fortnite, in that location's Roblox, Google with Stadia, Apple on mobile, and even Netflix and its games expansion. At that place is a lot of games competition out there right now. It's never as unproblematic as all that, merely in that location'south a lot of reasons to suggest that Xbox isn't a monopoly in games. Not nonetheless, anyhow.

Will Call of Duty be exclusive to Xbox?

No. Call of Duty will definitely remain on Xbox, PC and smartphones. The real question is: will Microsoft terminate Call of Duty coming out on PS5?

Possibly, but not definitely. Call of Duty is a global, mass-market games brand that extends well beyond 1 platform. In many ways, it's not too dissimilar to Minecraft, which is a true multi-format video game that Microsoft also operates. Taking Call of Duty off PlayStation volition heave Xbox console sales, merely will likely hurt Call of Duty in the procedure – that series has a lot of fans on Sony's console. Xbox may well decide that there'due south a lot of value in having a major game on a competitor'south console.

Yet, you could argue the same thing is true with Elder Scrolls, and Microsoft has fabricated it clear that the next game in the series will be an Xbox exclusive.

What about Call of Duty: Warzone?

This has an active and engaged audition on PlayStation already, and every bit a free-to-play championship, the whole point is making it as attainable as possible. And so in this instance, I would be very surprised if Warzone disappeared from PS5. Merely as I would be surprised if Elder Scrolls Online of a sudden went Xbox exclusive.

Volition Earth of Warcraft come to Xbox?

It's possible, simply then information technology always was. Microsoft's acquisitions are not purely about Xbox consoles. In fact, they're mostly about driving the Game Laissez passer subscription service, which is on PC. Microsoft has some popular PC titles like Age of Empires and Flying Simulator, but Blizzard takes that up another level.

The real thing for Microsoft here would be to incorporate an IP like Warcraft into its existing PC Game Pass subscription service.

Can Xbox gear up Activision Blizzard'due south workplace issues?

You have to promise so. Microsoft isn't perfect, but it has been vocal in its efforts to be a more inclusive, welcoming and various business. It's non saying much, but the Xbox direction squad is one of the most diverse in the games industry, and information technology's rightly proud of that.

Information technology's worth noting, yet, that Microsoft has a 'limited integration strategy', which basically means it buys companies, offers them aid, only ultimately leaves them to operate how they want. The thinking is that if they go in and meddle too much, information technology risks damaging what made information technology successful in the start place (and Xbox has certainly made those mistakes before). This strategy started with the acquisition of Mojang, and information technology'southward worked very well for it so far.

It'll be on Activision to enquire for assist from Microsoft. And I suspect it will.

Workplace culture doesn't change overnight. New processes take time to bed in. Bad apples need to be moved on and replaced by the right people. Microsoft could certainly help, but it'll have time.

Should PlayStation buy Take-Two/EA/Ubisoft?

This depends on what PlayStation wants to attain. The reason Xbox needs these studios and these games isn't purely to sell more consoles, but to grow its subscriber base in Game Laissez passer and reach new markets.

Sony already has a successful console platform, a strong base of studios making great games, and it's currently popular in far more than markets than Xbox.

Just information technology is facing contest, not but from within games but outside, as well. And if it wants to fend off these rivals, or fifty-fifty compete amend with new concepts like Game Pass, it may need to keep acquiring.

And PlayStation has been acquiring companies. These acquisitions may not be on the same manufacture-shaking level as Activision or Bethesda, but this is the games manufacture we're talking about... who tin say where the next smash hit will come from? It could be a big studio similar Infinity Ward, or an entirely new beginning-upwardly. Sony has been investing a lot in new teams over the past 12 months. Last year it signed the first game from Divergence Games (ex-Call of Duty veterans), Firewalk Studios (ex-Destiny folks) and Haven Studios (former Assassin'due south Creed devs). Maybe this generation'southward large striking video game volition come from one of them, rather than an established player.

But watch this space. We are in a world of rapid consolidation. Perhaps next week we'll hear that Sony is buying Ubisoft. Or Facebook is buying Sony. Or Netflix. The games industry is changing quickly.

Who is side by side?

Potentially anybody. Nosotros can all see how attractive a company like Sega might exist to Xbox, or Square Enix to Sony. There are enough of people looking to buy, the question is who might desire to sell?

Take-2, Ubisoft and Nintendo take all previously stated that they are not for sale. But things modify. Ubisoft is currently struggling to proceed staff following a number of workplace scandals, and its games and business practices are coming nether criticism. Information technology may have famously fought off a hostile takeover before, but might it exist more open up to an amicable takeover now?

What I tin can say, is that we're less than three weeks into 2022 and nosotros've already had two of the biggest games acquisition in history (the other being Take-Two/Zynga). There volition be more.

marcussubjecall.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.vg247.com/will-sony-buy-ubisoft-other-questions-xbox-activision-blizzard

Share this post